Necticut



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

0. H. OOOLEY & F. H. RICHARDS.

GRAIN WEIGHER.

No. 442,859. Patented Dec. 16, 1890.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-$116653, C. H. OOOLEY 82; F. H. RICHARDS.

GRAIN WEIGHER.

No. 442,859. Patented Dec. 16, 1890.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. COOLEY AND FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CON- NECTICUT, ASSIGNORS TO THE PRATT & VHITNEY COMPANY, OF

SAME PLACE.

GRAIN-WEIGHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 442,859, dated December 16, 1890.

Original application filed February 11, 1890. Serial No. 339,967. Divided and this application filed July 14,- 1890. Serial No.

' 358,658. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that we, CHARLES H. COOLEY. and FRANCIS H. Ricrmnns, citizens of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvement in GrainJVeighers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic'grainweighers, and has for its object the improve ment of the machine by furnishing improved valve mechanism therefor.

This application'is a division of our application, Serial No. 339,967, filed February 11, 1890, for Letters Patent for an improvement ingrain-weighers, and reference may be had to the said prior application for a particular description of some of the principal parts of the grain-weigher which are not fully described in this application.

In the drawings accompanying and form ing a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of agrain-weigher embodying my present improvements. Fig. 2 is a front'elevation of the valve mechanism and accessory parts shown in the upper portion of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side view similar to a portion of Fig. 1, and is illustrative of the operation of the machine. Figs. 5, 6, 7, S, and 9 are enlarged diagrammatic views illustrating the leading features of the machine and the construction and operation of the same.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures.

The frame-work for carrying the operative parts of the machine usually, and as shown in the drawings, comprises two side frames or uprights, as shown in the said prior application, and there numbered 2 and 4, respectively. In this application only one of said side frames 2 is shown. The supply-chute H is carried on said frames, being formed on the top plate and set forward of said fran'ie-work uprights.

The grain-bucket C is journaled at 12 in bearings formed in the hangers 16 and 18, which are suspended by V-shaped bearings on the pivots or knife-edges and 17, respectively, of the arms 19 and 21 of the scalebeam B. This beam has V-shaped bearings and 22, one at each end of the hollow shaft thereof, which rest on the pivots or knifeedges 24 and 26, respectively, that are suitably supported, as by bearings23 25, on the frame-work. Opposite to arms .19 and 21 an arm 28 extends rearwardly of the scale-beam shaft 50 and is provided with a pivot or knifeedge 27, on which the main weight is suspended, as set forth in our said prior application. The oscillation of the grain-bucket'G within the hangers is limited by suitable stops. (Not shown in this application.) For detaining the bucket in either its forward or rearward position we have shown in this application the device described and claimed therefor in our said prior application. This detent device comprises the detent latch or lever 42, which is pivoted at 43 to the hanger 16, and whose long arm carries the adjustable pin 45, secured in the end thereof for regulating the operation of said lever by the latch-bracket 46, that is fixed on the framework. The short arm 44 of said lever 42 has the catch 41 formed thereon, a stop-pin 39 being provided to normally limit the upward movement of said catch. The lever 47, which in form is or may be a segment of awheel,as shown, has two end catches 48 and 49, adapted to engage with the aforesaid catch 41 of the detent-lever 42. The lever 47 is pivoted at 53 to the hanger 16, and its hub has thereon suitable gear-teeth, as 51, meshing with similar teeth on the block 40, which is secured to the side of the grain-bucket Gin any suitable manner, as by screws or rivets. The mode of operation of this detent apparatus is fully described in our said prior application. As shown in Fig. 1, the end 49 of the segmental lever 47 rests against the catch 41 of the latch 42. If, now, the lever 42 be raised, the said catches will be disengaged and the part 47 will be free to rotate on its said pivot. The rearward side of the bucket, at the right hand in Fig. 1, being loaded,the bucket tends strongly to move toward the right hand. This turns the lever 4-7, through the gearing described, until the bucket movement is stopped by the bucketstops referred to, but not herein shown, when the catch 11:1 engages with the opposite end 48 of said lever and thus locks the bucket in its rearward position. The latch arm or lever 4.2 extends rearwardly of the hangers to a point over the latch-bracket to, which is fixed on the frame-work at some distance back from said catch. By this means an effective leverage is obtained for overcoming the resistance of the bucket-catches, so as to easily unlock the same. The position of said bracket vertically in the machine issuch that the contact of the latch-lever therewith does not take place until a particular point in the downward movement of the beam has been reached, so as to insure the proper disengagement of the bucketeatches by the force exerted on the beam by the weight-arm of the cut-off valve, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

The valve mechanism for reducing and for cutting off the flow of grain to the bucket is actuated from and by the scale-beam. The reducing-valve (30 is carried by the arms 62 and 64, that are carried on the pivot-shaft 61, said valve being furnished with a suitable stop, sometimes made adjustable, as the stop 36, to regulate or limit its closing movement. This valve closes under the outlet 65 of the chute ll somewhat more than half the width thereof. The valve is actuated by the valvelever (39 from the valve-actuating arm 71 of the beam B. The constructioi'i and mode of operation of this reducing-valve in its preferred form are fully set forth in the prior application of ,ll. Cooley, Serial No. 335%,818, filed January 31,1890, to which reference may be had.

The cut-off valve is carried by the arms 72 and 7- pivotefl at 73 to the snpply-cl'iute II, the said valve having, if desired, an adjustable stop 67, to limit its closing movement. The arm 72 is continued above the pivot 73, and carries the cam (38 and some suitable weight, as 90. The mode of operatiug the cut-off valve is shown more fully in the enlarged views, Figs. 5 to 9, inclusive.

For the purpose of illustrating the ordinary mode of operation let us assume the actuator 55, which in this case is a small roller carried by the stem (or slide) 54-, to be carried at a fixed point on the beam-arm 19, as shown in Fig. 6. \Ve may then divide the vertical movement of said actuator (and also of the beam) into several periods, represented by the positions 1), Fig. 5; 1), Fig. 6; p Fig. '7, and 1), Fig. In 5 the beam is at its highest point, as in Figs. 1 and 4. In Fig. (3 the beam has descended to the theoretical poising point, when the reducing-valve is supposed to be closed. (When refcrenceis herein made to the movement of the scale-beam the movement of the bticket-supporting arms thereof is meant, this coinciding, of course, with that of the bucket itself.) In Fig. 7 the beam has descended to the endof the poising period, or the actual. poising point, this being the position where the valve-weight 90, acting through the lever and cam, acquires a sullicicnt power to accelerate the downward movement of the beam. At this actual poising point the roll 55 stands on a line a 7), passing through the edge of the cam, and which is considerably inclined to the line t, so that at said moment (when there is no longer any need for more grain to flow into the bucket) the closing movement of the cut-off valve is rapidly accelerating and cuts off the dripcolumn very suddenly. Immediately after this, when the drip is substantially cut oil, the bucket-latches strike theabutments it; and unhook the bucket, and the beam descends to the position shown in Fig. 8. During this latter part of the beam movement the curved eanrface 1-ibcars with a greatlyincreased force on the roll 55, and thereby exerts apowerful downward thrust on the beam, thus furnishil'lg amplc power for unlocking said bucket-latches.

The cam 68 being abovethe pivot 7 of the cutoff valve and the valve-arm being of a short radius, the cam follows the beam in its downward movement and thus has a more direct and effective action thereon. This arrangement and combination of the several parts enables us to use alarge angular movement of the valve relatively to the extent of the beam movement, thereby obtaining a long stroke for the weight 90011 thearm of the cut-bit valve. This result is highly important be cause it is necessarythat the position and stroke of said weight shall be such as to have only a very small effect on the beam when in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 0, and shall have a rapidly-increasing effect when said valve begins to close. In Fig. 6 said weight stands almost directlyover the pivot 73, thus exerting a very slight effecton the beam. In Fig. 8 the effective leverage of said weight is several fold increased, owing to its aforesaid large angular movement.

There is another feature of our improved valve mechanism illustrated in Fig. (J, which is, perhaps, not obvious from Figs. 5 to, 8, inclusive. It will have been observed that the cam 68 has three faces 0, 7, and 1%. The part 0' of the cam-face is used during the closing of the reducing-valve, the part 7 during the poising period and is substantially coincident in extent with the poising movement of the beam, and the part 14 is used to cut off the drip and to effect the discharge of the grain. Since the face 7 bears with some pressure against the actuator on the beam during the poising period, it is obvious that any resistance caused by such pressure will to that extent vitiate the precision of the ma chine. To overcome this result we make the face 7 neutral to the downward movement of the beam, but not to the upward movement thereof. In Fig. 9 the line V is supposed to be at right angles to the poising-line 7 If the face 7 were parallel with the line Y, it is IIO tially with the angle of repose.

obvious there would be some little resistance to the beam movement in either direction, due to the friction of the roller 55 on its pin and on the said face 7. Accordingly we construct the face 7 to neutralize said resistance by setting said face on the line a; at an angle to line Y, representing what is generally designated by mechanics as the angle of'repose. This angle Z is shown in the drawings to be about eight degrees, being so figured in said Fig. 9. For the purpose of reference thereto we designate the face 7 as being undercut, since the lower part thereof is out under the line V by an amount corresponding substan- By this means during thesubpoise period from point p to point p the angle of the face 7 causes the weighted valve to exert substantially the same downward thrust on the beam, as the pressure on said actuator causes resistance to the downward movement of the beam. This accurately neutralizes the said resistance and renders the same of no injurious effect. By this means we attain the import-antresult of materially diminishing the percentage of error of the weighing.

The cut-off valve has a surplus or extra closure for the purpose of cutting off the drip prior to beginning toopen the bucketlat-ches, so that the impact of the falling column of grain entirely ceases before the beam encounters any resistance to its downward movement. This cut-off valve and the combinations therewith are in the nature of an improvement on the corresponding valve mechanism and combinations set forth in the application of C. II. Cooley, Serial No. 338,544.

The cutoff valve is utilized as a regulator-valve by means of connections from the shiftable actuator to a regulator situated below the grain-bucket, and which may be the regulator P described in oursaid prior application. To said regulator is connected the rod 13, which is pivoted at 87 to the arm 85 of the rotary reciprocating cam 88, that is pivoted at 86 to the arm 52 of the scale-beam 13. The valve-actuator slide 54 has journ aled at the rearward end thereof the cam-roll 56, which bears on the face of the regulator-cam 88, and at the forward end thereof carries the aforesaid actuator-roll 55, which bears on the face of the cutoff-valve cam 68. The slide 54 may be retracted by the spring 57, one end of which is attached toa pin 58, fixed in said slide, and the opposite end to a similar pin 59, fixed in the arm 19 of the beam B; or said slide may be freely fitted and be retracted by the weight of the cut-off valve acting through the cam (38. This regulator apparatus is not of our invention, but is described and claimed in separate applications filed by F. H. Richards, Serial No. 340,814, filed February 17, 1890, Serial No. 341,104, filed February 20,1800, and Serial No. 324,242, filed September 17, 1880.

Having thus described our invention, we claim 1. In a grain-weigh er, the combination, with the weighted cut-olf valve, arranged and supported substantially as described, the weight being substantially over the valve-ax1s when the valve is open, of the cam on the valvearm above the valve-axis and the valve-actuator carried 011 the beam, said cam having a 7 substantially neutral face bearing against said actuator during the poising, and below said substantially neutral face having a face constructed to permit the closing of the valve and also to communicate a downward thrust on the scale-beam when the beam descends below the poising period.

2. Ina grain-weigher, the combination, with the cut-off valve, pivotally supported substantially as described,.of the cam carriedon said valve above the axis thereof and having an upper non-effective face and a lower effective face, substantially as described, and the actuator carried on the scale-beam and operating said valve through said cam.

In a grain-weigher, the combination, wlth the cut-off valve, pivoted and. weighted snbstantially as described,of the cam 68,hav1ng the three faces 6, 7, and 14, and the actuator carried on the beam and operating said valve through said cam, said face 7 being substantially coincident with'the poising period of the beam movement.

4:. In a grain-weigher, the combination, with the cut-off valve, supported and weighted substantially as described, of the cam on the valve-arm and the actuator on the scale-beam and operating said valve through said cam, the cam having a face used during the poreing, period, and undercut, substantially as described, whereby said poising cam-face 1s made neutral as to the downward beam movement.

5. In agrain-weigher, the combination, with the scale-beam carrying the valve-actuator and with the bucket supported by hangers suspended from said beam, of the weighted cut-off valve, pivotally supported substantially as described, and having a cam above the valvaaxis, which cam has a lower face adapted to impart a downward thrust on the scale-beam, and bucket detent-.catches,substant-ially as described,constructed to be disengaged by a fixed stop or bracket on the descent of the beam to permit the valve-actuator to pass under said lower cam-face, whereby the said cam-face follows down said act-uator and furnishes the power fordisengaging said detent-catches.

ICC

CHARLES H. COOLEY. FRANCIS II. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

L. C. HEERMANN, HENRY L. RECKARD. 

